Mad Dash for a Butler
by AI The Original
Summary: Akiharu is kicked out from training. Hoping to redeem himself, he spots a classified ad and accepts the offer. However, his new master is someone he recognizes. Akiharu instantly quits and makes a run for it, but master loves him and will do anything to catch him. Based on a cartoon short A Fine Feathered Frenzy and From anime/novel Ladies vs Butlers
1. Introduction – You Should Not Do This

**Author's Note:** The original story for Ladies vs Butlers did not really end well and left an open ending. Here is my take of how the story should end. Unlike my other fanfictions in progress, I am going to make this one short. The story is based on an animated Woody Woodpecker cartoon short by Walter Lentz titled "A Fine Feathered Frenzy". In the short, Woody accepts an offer from Gorgeous Gal seeking matrimony and later tries to run away from her when he sees her in person. In this fanfiction, Akiharu takes the role of Woody. One of the Upped-Ed students takes the role of Gorgeous Gal. Can you guess who it might be?

**Disclaimer:** All characters are property of their respective owners.

**Chapter 1:**

**Introduction – You Should Not Do This**

"Come over here all you," yelled master chef Torte Kino.

All of the waiters and waitresses quietly walk over to the Torte. He shows all of them a newly ironed table cloth and points to small area of detect. That particular area has visible wrinkles, making Torte angry.

"This is unacceptable work. Who did the ironing?" One waiter slowly raises his hand.

"Akiharu Hino. You have been here for one year and this is how you iron table cloth? You know what this means now. Do it again." Torte throws the table cloth at Akiharu and makes him completely re-iron the table cloth again. Before Akiharu goes and fixes the problem, Torte makes one speech.

"Listen everyone. Your one year of extra education is about to end and I do not find that anyone is ready to meet my expectations of becoming a fine butler. I am being generous enough on behalf of head teacher Mikan to give all of you an opportunity to study here part-time and make up your credits. I can simply hire professional butlers and maid and waiters to take place of you and give me less headaches. If you blow this opportunity, I will fire all of you at the end of your one year period and make you get expelled for good. I will replace all of you with graduating students from this coming year. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes sir."

"Now, get working before the dining hall opens for service tonight."

Akiharu Hino was required to take this service because he received an unfavorable rating in his Servant-Ed division at the Hakureiryou Academy. Besides studying basic high school knowledge, Servant-Ed students also take lessons on serving masters, who are in the Upper-Ed division. Although Akiharu made improvements over the years, most Upper-Ed students were still skeptical of him since his scar and face gives him a delinquent appearance. As a result, despite his adequate grades in terms of knowledge, the school board gave him a conditional pass, which included working for one year in a fine dining restaurant owned by Mikan. While most Servant-Ed students either graduate or get dismissed based on approval ratings, some Servant-Ed students are in the mix with Akiharu as well. These people include Shingo Todoroki, Mitsuru Sanke, and Sanae Shikikagami, who are working alongside Akiharu. They must receive a favorable rating from master chef Torte, a senior and experienced high-class chef, to graduate or else they will fail and drop out.

Working under Torte is brutal. Torte pays attention to every single fine detail and can even catch miniature problems such as a loose thread. Everything has to be clean and polished many times and Tore can easily see specks of dust anywhere. Also, guests must be treated with extreme care and one negative comment from the guest during service results in red marks for the student. In some occasions during service, Torte would be so upset at service that he would throw everyone out and shut the entire dining hall down early. Whenever this happened, all students received 0 pts for their work, making an approval much more difficult to get.

During the evening at the fine dining restaurant, the dinner service once again does not go well. The students are trying to fulfill orders that meet chef Torte's high expectations. Akiharu, in the kitchen, ends up overcooking the fish, resulting in flat rejection from chef Torte. In the dining hall, the service is worse. Shingo gets yelled at for writing the order illegibly. Sanae accidentally spills tea on the floor, causing three tables of guests to leave. Next, Mitsuru spends too much time talking to the girls that chef Torte kicks him back into service. The constant yelling and torture from Torte entertains the dining guests. After dinner ends and the restaurant closes, Chef Torte gives his final remarks before ending the day.

"This is the worst service I have ever had with all of you. If you can't handle the work in my dining hall, how will you be able to serve as a personal butler or a personal maid? It has been over a year and I doubt that I will be able to see any meaningful improvement." Chef Torte opens the door which leads to the dumpster. "This is where I want you girls and guys to go. I'm firing everyone. You are all expelled. NOW… GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY RESTAURANT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU IN MY RESTAURANT AGAIN!"

Everyone leaves with gloomy faces. Not only they have failed to complete high school, their dreams of becoming excellent maids and butlers have been shattered by this man. Akiharu tries to re-enter the restaurant.

"You can't do that!"

However, Torte shuts the door and locks it, preventing him from coming back in. In the dumpster area, Akiharu comes across a classified ad with an attractive advertisement written on it. He takes the page and returns home to his apartment. His next door neighbor and former roommate, Kaoru Daichi, finds him as asks him about his day.

"So how was today?"

"I got fired for not maintaining service standards. I guess I am ready to receive an official expulsion from the school."

"I am sorry to hear that. Good luck, Hino-san. Persistence is always the key."

Unlike Akiharu and the other people who worked at Chef Torte's restaurant, Kaoru progressed smoothly during the years at Hakureiryou Academy. Despite being a female dressed up as a male, Kaoru got excellent grades and received many positive feedbacks from the Upper-Ed students. In fact, on the day of graduation when Upper-Ed students can select one or more Servant-Ed students to become their butler, Kaoru received the most requests, outnumbering the person with the 2nd most requests by 3 to 1. Akiharu was ineligible selection due to the conditional pass he received from the school board. However, Kaoru has declined all requests. After realizing her accomplishments to graduate from Hakureiryou Academy as a male servant, she decides to become a writer. Her first book is an autobiography of her time at the academy. Right now, she spends most of her day editing her drafts for publication.

The next day, Akiharu looks back at the restaurant he was kicked out from yesterday. In front of the main entrance, he finds Chef Torte welcoming the new students.

"Welcome to remedial lessons for Servant-Ed rejects. I am Chef Torte, your new instructor and your master. As rejects, you must convince me that you are worthy of becoming an excellent butler for your future master. My previous servants have all been kicked out and I will be happy to add more people to the list."

Akiharu knows he has no chance of re-entering the restaurant. As he turns around, he finds a classified ad on the floor with a large advertisement readable from a distance. The classified ad is fresh from the recycle bin.

_"Seeking a Fine Personal Butler_

_Rich, Friendly Master, Flexible Work Hours_

_Prefer alumni of Hakureiryou Academy_

_Call if Interested. Tel: 9-407"_

Akiharu figures this may be a good second chance for him to redeem himself as a capable butler. Akiharu must do well on this second chance if he wants to meet his goal of trying not to burden his relatives.


	2. One More Chance

**Author's Note:** I have made extensive modifications to Chapter 1 before uploading this chapter. I felt that the original version was a little bit rushed so I made this extra chapter to slow it down. I removed the section about master, who is an Upper-Ed graduate and put it all here. This chapter takes place in parallel to the events in Chapter 1.

I kind of changed the story a little bit from the cartoon short, but hopefully I will get it back on tract before the end. I also added in the element where wealthy people (The Upper-Eds) treat poor people (The Servant-Eds) like trash and look down on them.

I was also going to reveal which character master is in this chapter, but you will have to wait until Chapter 3 when Akiharu meets master in person. If you want a hint, I will tell you that one of the characters is too similar to another character I am writing fanfics about so that person is eliminated from the pool.

Finally, I am not sure about how the story goes post-anime so it may conflict with the original story.

Published 12/22/2013

**Chapter 2:**

**One More Chance**

While Akiharu suffers having his dreams of being a fine butler destroyed, somewhere else in the city, another 'master' who graduated from the Upper-Ed division of Hakureiryou Academy is also facing troubles.

"Please master! Just give me another chance!"

"Why should I give you another chance? I have already given you five."

"It was just an accident. I promise I will do everything right time around. Plus, this is only a small spill and I can easily clean it up."

"You have been with me for a year. I only accept perfect and you know this very well especially since you are my personal butler."

"You level of perfect is impossible. It seems like nothing I do will make you satisfied. Please tell me what you want."

"A true butler never lets his master and other butlers intervene. Plus, you have abandoned your master too much and my head butler is taking care of me more than you. This is not the quality I expect from my personal butler."

"But I was the best student for the Servant-Ed division of our year. I transferred in at the beginning of 2nd Year and quickly became the top of the class minus the Upper-Ed division. I even got a Gold Certification for stewardship last week. I am doing my best. Dealing with a narrow-minded master is difficult."

"As much as you have all the qualifications necessary, I still do not feel like you are motivated to be my personal butler. I had no choice but to pick you on the day of graduation so I really wasn't interested in you anyways. Your stay at my estate has failed to impress me, confirming my first instincts."

"Please, just give me one more chance. You'll regret this if you replace me with someone else. Your replacement will be terrible."

"Sorry, but your time is up here. Security, please remove this man from my estate."

The security quickly escorts the butler out of the mansion complex, past the front gate. Before the security close and lock the gates, preventing the butler from coming back in, the butler makes his last word.

"You'll regret this choice. One day, you will go bankrupt and your estate will fall apart."

As master sits down looking at the window, she begins to think in frustration. Her head butler, Rin Neptune, tries to comfort master by getting her to think about her decision for firing her personal butler.

"Milady, I really hope you can reconsider that person. You made the decision too quickly."

"I appreciate your concerns. However, I am not interested in bringing him back again."

"I understand you are working hard to represent this household as a new heir and have high expectations for your butlers including me. However, there are other issues you also need to consider. First, it has been a year since you graduated and all your friends have all gone to college to complete their education and become ready to succeed their households. Maybe you should do the same thing."

Rin shows all of the college invitation letters to master and wants her to pick one. Unlike other butlers, Rin is an experienced butler with over 25 years of service. She was originally a personal butler for master's father, but after he got married and started a family, he hired additional butlers to help Rin out. Master, who recently graduated, is following her father's footsteps by starting out with a personal butler.

"I understand this very well and I have been told this many times. However, there is something missing and I don't feel comfortable going alone. If only that person was still with me. Since his extra year is coming to an end soon, maybe I can finally get to meet with him again."

"If you are thinking about Akiharu Hino, I am afraid that there is zero chance you will be able to see him again. You two are in separate worlds. You are high-class intelligent lady that is an heir to great wealth and great fortune. Hino-san is nothing more than an ordinary delinquent that will live the lives of a beggar."

"Why is that?"

"After hearing about him and personally observing him, I am positive that he will not be able to graduate from Hakureiryou Academy. His level of service is far worse than the butler we just had and his service is among the worse anyone has ever seen. I still cannot understand how this man was able to pass his entrance exams and receive acceptance. I think he is better off working as a criminal. His scar will make anyone give up all their wealth. Plus, a tough man like him could easily make anyone surrender to him. Hope he doesn't end up in jail tonight," the head butler speaks with disgust.

"QUIET! I do not appreciate you talking about him like that. As much as he is a scary delinquent and needed a long time to adapt to life at the Hakureiryou Academy, I think there is something special about that no one else recognizes." master responds.

"I respect your decision. However I warn you that bringing Hino-san here will only cause more harm to our family. I strongly urge you to reconsider bringing that previous personal butler back in this estate. If some other wealthy family hires him, it will be a great loss for us. Please forget about Hino-san. If you are thinking about matrimony, please give up. We have plans for you future husband. As an heir to Grand Premier Media Enterprise, he will be a good asset to you and our family."

"Thank you for your concern. I understand this very well. Please let me think about this alone."

"Very well. I will leave you with a reminder that your parents are waiting for the day you become the new head of the household. Please respect their wishes." The head butler leaves the room. Master stares at window and thinks about her current status. While she was one of the top students at the academy, she has not entered college and mostly spent her spare staring at the window, waiting for something extraordinary to happen. As she sits at the desk running errands for her parents, she thinks to herself.

"I really had no other choice during graduation. I didn't have to pick anyone, but since I was going to be alone in this estate, I wanted company. My first choice was Akiharu but he failed and had to take extra lessons."

As master sits down looking at ways to bring him back, she makes more thoughts.

"I feel like this is my fault because I let him down. He did improve his studies dramatically by 2nd and 3rd year, but I guess head teacher Mikan still did not approve. Although we have now graduated and concerns about the well-being of the school no longer apply, I think I have caused permanent psychological damage to him. As much as Rin looks down on lowly people like Akiharu and wants me to forget about him, there is no way I can keep my mind off of him. Why can't I do so? Who is this male heir destined for me?"

Master then gets up and walks to her calendar. She looks at the day marked with a red circle, which is in two days.

"Well, I am sure his extra lessons are coming to an end soon. Although I won't be able to go this year's graduation ceremony to select a new butler, there has to be some other way for me to pull this person over to my estate."

She finally comes up with a solution.

"That's right. I can contact Mikan and Kaede about Akiharu. Maybe they can reserve him. I am probably sure no one graduating this year will select him. Hmm… Then again, there may be [other people] including Upper-Ed students from my year that will take him so I have to hurry. I cannot lose."

The next day, master calls Mikan about Akiharu. However, Mikan replies that she cannot put Akiharu up for selection until he officially completes his extra lessons and receives Chef Torte's approval. However, since many guests who visit the restaurant regularly usually read newspapers while they wait for their entrees, Mikan suggests master write a large advertisement in the classified section of the newspaper. Master writes an advertisement and brainstorms ways to make her advertisement get Akiharu's attention. After going through several revisions, master comes up with a perfect advertisement. She pays extra money to the newspaper agency to have her classified ad large enough to attract Akiharu's attention.

The classified ad gets published at perfect timing, right when Akiharu gets kicked out of Chef Torte's restaurant and is desperate to seek a new butler job.


End file.
